The leads are hot, and the script is solid. So why do you have a sinking feeling every time you pick up the phone for some cold calling action?
Cold call anxiety is real, and it happens to sales reps (even superstar ones!) worldwide. So you are not alone in this dilemma.
In fact, it’s the biggest challenge that sales reps deal with on a regular basis. Almost half (48%) of salespeople agree that they are afraid to pick up the phone and make a cold call. Not only this, more than 60% of salespeople admit that they hate cold calling part of their jobs.
Cold calling isn’t for the faint of heart. You call unannounced on someone who is probably quite busy, and you have only 10 seconds to convince them to hear you out. And the chances are that you will hear a big, fat, resounding NO from them once you are done. And that right is the root cause of anxiety for most sales reps.
The only good news is that cold call anxiety has plenty of tried-and-tested solutions. Let’s explore some of these in detail.
Ways To Conquer Your Anxiety During Your Next Cold Call
If cold calling is a nerve-wracking endeavor, you are not alone.
The following techniques can help you overcome your nerves and make sales calls a bit less intimidating.
1. Plan What You Will Do and say Before You Pick Up The Phone
The foundation of every good sales call is preparation, right? The first step in overcoming your cold calling anxiety is to prepare for all possible scenarios and outcomes.
Conduct research on your prospect to define their persona and Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Find out about their problems and figure out beforehand how you can personally assist them in solving those issues.
When you know exactly how to approach a lead and what to say to reel them in, you’ll be excited about the call instead of anxious.
2. Face Your Fears Head-On
You gain strength and confidence every time you look your fear in the face and do what you need to do anyway. The fear of a cold call can be far worse than its reality because the chances are that you keep replaying worst-case scenarios in your head, psyching yourself out and destroying any prospects of success. It’s a never-ending cycle.
The more you worry about the negative side, the more defensive and stressed you become. When you are looking for a fight, that’s precisely what you get, and this isn’t what cold calling is all about.
Practice makes everything simple, just like everything else. Cold calling gets easier with every call you make. Once you start making cold calls using Cloud predictive dialer and keep that spirit high, there’s no stopping you.
Hence, it’s essential to change your negative attitude and go from “I hate cold calling” to a more positive one that can definitely help you achieve your sales targets.
3. Understand That Rejection Is Better Than Avoidance
In its true sense, cold calling creates anxiety because of the likelihood of rejection. But what’s the worst thing that could happen?
They’ll hang up the phone.
Is it that really bad? So don’t sweat at this, as they won’t call back and say I don’t want to buy anything from this salesperson.
Remember that rejection doesn’t mean failure or loss – it simply means you have another chance at your hands to do better. Don’t dwell on failure, but use it as an opportunity to move ahead, find new ways to approach clients, do more research and become the best you can be at this job.
You got this.
4. Know When To Call
Wait for a second…
“Are there right and wrong times to call someone? Absolutely, no second thoughts to it.”
Did you know that the worst time to ring a prospect is Friday afternoon? And it does make sense.
After all, by this point, most people are tuned out. They are usually waiting for the weekend to start.
Also, avoid making cold calls on Monday morning because no one’s in a good mood getting back to work after the weekend. Monday blues are a thing, and we’re all dragging ourselves to work while wishing it was still the weekend.
So, when should you make a cold call?
Try the middle of the week, Wednesday or Thursday. Your leads will be more receptive to what you have to offer, and they’ll at least hear you out.
5. Know Your Script But Don’t Just Read It
Your script holds the key to your success with cold calls. It is the perfect combination of your strategies, questions, talking points, and possible conversational structures that you’ll employ to talk to your leads.
When you know your script, the cold calls become a no-brainer.
However, being a good salesperson involves more than just rote learning. It should never sound like someone is reading a script; instead, make it feel like a conversation. Here’s what you can do to sound more confident:
- Memorize your introduction
- Break the ice and move forward with confidence
- Keep a couple of open-ended questions at hand to ease the conversation
- Anticipate objections
- Finally, learn to leave a concise, attention-grabbing voicemails
Wrapping Up
You won’t flip your cold calling game overnight, but one thing is for sure, with each passing day and every call you make, you can get better at your job and ultimately reach your goal. After all, waiting for the phone to ring isn’t a smart sales strategy. So, go ahead and make the first move and create a lasting impression on your leads. To know more about cold calling tactics and tools to win more sales, connect with our experts today at support@leadsrain.com or schedule a demo to get started.
